Process



UNITED STATES PATENT ornron.

THORNTON B. BARNES, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

PatentedOct. 14', 1919.

EMIBALMING rnoonss.

1, ,957 Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THORNTON B. BARNEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Embalming Process, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to embalming or preservation of corpses or flesh of bodies of inferior animals and has particular reference to the embalming art having in view a number of practical results heretofore unknown.

Among the objects therefore of this invention is to provide a process for embalming which shall result in the restoration to the body of a more natural or life like appearance than usual.

Another object of the invention is to provide a more thorough distribution 'of the antiseptic or disinfectant fluid or fluids whereby the same may be caused to reach throughout the minutest portions of the body, than can be accomplished by. other known processes. 1

A still further object is ,to provide a process through the practice of which a more thorough desiccation of the skin, withthe natural preservative results thereof, may be realized.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, and while I may specify more or less definitely certain steps I wish it to be understood that such specification of steps of the process are to be understoocl as suggestive rather than obligatory in practice.

Ordinarily in a corpse the veins, capillaries and arteries, constituting the vascular system, are apt to be more or less filled, occluded or obstructed with blood, which as a result of decomposition or stagnation soon becomes dark or discolored, constituting one of the immediate causes of the unnatural appearance of the subject. This condition of the blood in the vascular system serves not only as a direct means or cause of discoloration of the body, but even more constitutes an obstruction preventing the free flow or distribution of the embalming fluid injected into the vascular systemaccor'ding to the present well known practice of embalming. It follows, therefore, as mediate result that the embal-m-ing fluid,

Application filed September 10, 1917. Serial No. 190,618.

while more or less effective with respect to all tissues reached thereby, is kept by the blood from reaching thoseremote tissuesor portions of the body requisite for thorough embalming'or preservation of the flesh.

In the practice of my invention therefore I employ, in general, two steps in any clesired propersequence with respect to each other. One of these steps is to inject'into the body, through either the vascular system or respiratory organs, or both, a suitable gas such as air, oxygen, orthe like, for bleaching by oxidation, or carbon monoxid or the; like for bleaching by deo'xidation, having in view the bleaching or restoration to normal appearance of the discolored tissues or blood clots. In addition to the bleaching or cosmetic effect on the tissues just referred, to, another important effect is accomplished, namely the. dilation or enlargement of the canals so that any blood or the like that may belocated in the same will not seriously obstruct and prevent the free flow or conplete distribution of any liquid or embalm-' ing fluid that maybe introduced. Hence the second general step in the process is to introduce into the'body any suitable liquid injection having germicidal or disinfectant value such as formaldehyde which produces a reaction on the blood or tissues being able to specify, and while I know from my experience that the results obtained are as set forth herein no one has yet been able to determine with any degree of satisfaction just what the chemical reaction or' its'formula is. While the order or sequence of the process or the steps of the process is not invariable, the hes'tand most satisfactory results are obtained when the gas is in-' jected first.

As a corollary to the introduction of the bleaching or natural color developing gas or gases, I also inject, by anysuitable appliance well understood in this art, and either through the vascular system or re spiratory organs, a gas or combination of gases having either an antiseptic property or one serving to retard decomposition or else a disinfectant or germicidal property. As illustrations of suitable gases for this purpose the following may be noted: chlorin gas, carbon monoxid, sulfurous acid gas, formaldehyde gas, smoke from burning wood, or the like.

In recognition of the well known fact that the thorough drying ,or desiccation of the skin of the corpse is essential for its perfect preservation, it follows that the injection of certain gases such as air, carbon monoXid, chlorin or formaldehyde in the manner above indicated has a direct desiccating action upon the skin.

If the injection of the gas or gases precedes the injection of the liquid embalming fluid, one of the results of the prior injection is to dilate, enlarge or sweep the impediments or obstacles of the canals or vessels so that when the liquid disinfectant fluid is injected the latter shall have free course and thus be made to reach throughout the entire system and the remotest tissues of the body. W'hile certain of the gases such as air or oxygen if used for the purpose of bleaching or restoring the natural color might have a tendency to cause or accelerate decomposition, yet this tendency is more than counteracted by the antiseptic or disinfectant properties of the other gases or embalming fluids used as a part of the same process. Moreover the bleaching and desiccating effect of such gases is not neutralized by the disinfectant or preservative functions of the other elements.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to employ carbon monoxid or sulfurous acid gas as a bleaching agent in embalming processes for the cosmetic effect in restoring the tissues to a normal or natural color. I am also aware that others have proposed to use in embalming processes various chemicals or commodities, having certain antiseptic Properties when used in sufficient quantities, such as alum, corrosive sublimate, alcohol or the like, which substances, however, so far as I am aware do not possess the disinfecting or preservative effect that I am able to accomplish by my process wherein I employ in succession an injection of carbon monoxid which acts to displace oxygen thereby reducing or driving off a certain amount of moisture present especially near the skin and in the blood leaving carbonized blood or tissue that will combine readily with the ptomains or putrefactive alkaloids which when followed up immediately with such a disinfectant as formaldehyde in suflicient quantities produce what I believe to be a true chemical compound of a complex nature, the formula for which I am not able to specify, but which cannot be neutralized by the addition or development of further ptomains. In other words in my process I am able by the successive application or introduction of carbon monoxid and formaldehyde to produce a new chemical reaction and result never heretofore accomplished and which has not been suggested by any of the prior chemicals or processes heretofore known or practised.

I claim:

The herein described process of embahning which includes the injection into the body of gaseous substances including carbon monoxid serving to restore the tissues to natural cosmetic color, and injecting into the body a liquid disinfectant such as formaldehyde, the carbon monoXid and the liquid disinfectant combining with each other and with the blood and tissues to form a substance unneutralizable by the addition or development of further 'pton'iains, putrefactive alkaloids, or peptones.

THORNTON B. BARNES.

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